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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



The Case of the Fabulous Footprint





Shastras stress the importance of adorning our foreheads with Oordhva pundram 
or Tiruman. The two upward lines of Tiruman, accompanied by the SriChoornam in 
the centre, are what every Srivaishnava is supposed to wear on his forehead 
always. Such oordhvapundram is to be worn not only on the forehead, but at 
eleven other places on the body too, making a round dozen. The very picture of 
a Srivaishnava with dvAdasa (twelve) oordhvapundrams adorning his body evokes 
in us veneration and devotion. Though it is ordained upon every vaishnavite to 
wear these every day, it has now become the practice to follow this injunction 
only on special days like marriage, upanayanam, seemantham, shrAddham etc. 
While this was the position a few years back, the current scenario has 
deteriorated so much that even a single tirumaN is worn only on these special 
days. "KEsavam DAmOdaram cha sarvadA na parityajEt" says the Smriti, 
underlining the importance of never being without Tiruman, at least those worn 
on the forehead and the nape of the neck. Wearing Tiruman is currently viewed 
as old hat and unfashionable. And if one does wear it with courage, it attracts 
derogatory remarks or, at the least, derisive glances from the idle and unholy. 
Fearing the prospect of being an object of derision and adverse comment, most 
of us have stopped wearing Tiruman altogether, while some do it on special 
days. Yet others, even if bold enough to wear it every day after bath, 
religiously rub it off before setting foot outside, afraid of others witnessing 
us in such a state. Worse than all these, some of us even make fun of those 
with conviction enough to follow the practice, oblivious to criticism and 
comment. Talcum powder, perfumes and other cosmetics are applied with verve and 
vigour, but alas! not Tiruman. There are yet others who make a compromise 
between abandoning the practice altogether and keeping vestiges of it alive, 
and wear just Srichoornam alone, as a concession to nagging elders. Some 
others, after putting on Tiruman, feel something lacking and apply a dash of 
ash horizontally, displaying proudly their non-denominational credentials and 
broad perspective.



Levity apart, why should we apply oordhvapundram at all, whether one or a 
dozen? What do we gain therefrom, except the curious glances of some passers-by 
and derisive comment from the more offensive? What practical benefit do we 
derive from the practice, which would encourage its continued performance? What 
does it stand for and what is the scriptural authority behind it? Is its 
continued observance required in this age of satellites and missiles or is it a 
mere vestige of anachronistic observances?



We are told by none other than the Lord Himself that He resides along with 
Piratti on the foreheads of those wearing Tiruman. The two parallel white lines 
of Tiruman indicate the Lord's holy feet, while the red or yellow vertical line 
in between signifies Piratti's presence. Here is the BrahmANda PurANa sloka 
attesting to this, quoted by Swami Desikan in Saccharitra RakshA

-

"vimalAni oordhvapundrAni sAntarALAni yO nara:

karOti vimalam tatra mandiram mE karOti sa:

oordhvapundrasya madhyeE tu visAlE ati manOharE

LakshmyA sardham sahAseena:ramEham tatra nirvrita:"



One who wears oordhvapundram provides a temple for the Lord on his own 
forehead, says this couplet, pointing out the Lord resides with pleasure in 
those who wear His tiruvadi with devotion. 

That this practice is hoary and age-old is confirmed by Sri Nammazhwar in the 
following pasuram-



"nettriyil nindru ennai ALum niraimalar pAdangaL choodi

kattrai tuzhAi mudi kOla KaNNapirAnai tozhuvAr

ottrai pirai aNindAnum nAnmukhanum indiranum

mattrai amararum ellAm vandu enadu ucchiyuLAnE"



(Though the official explanation for this pasuram is different, it is extremely 
tempting not to make use of the words "nettriyil nindru ennai ALum nirai malar 
pAdangaL", which refer to the Lord's feet residing resplendently on our 
foreheads).



The word "oordhvam" means "upwards": according to Shastras, Paradise and other 
worlds of pleasure, ephemeral and eternal, lie above us, while worlds of pain 
and punishment inhabited by sinners lie below us. Hence the wearing of Tiruman 
in an upward direction is symbolic of our vertical movement on the spiritual 
plane.



In our Sampradaya, this adornment on the forehead in known as "tiruman kAppu". 
The use of the word "kAppu", referring to protection, is significant, for, it 
denotes the constant protection afforded to the wearer. Tiruman thus acts as an 
effective and inexpensive shield against all untoward things and as a guard 
against all evil forces. It is said that Yama kinkarAs have standing orders not 
to harass Vishnu bhaktas and to confine their terrifying tantrums to others, 
for even Yama's writ doesn't run over devotees of the Lord-("prabhuraham anya 
nruNAm na vaishnavAnAm"). It is the Tiruman Kappu that affords instant 
identification of the wearer as a staunch votary of Emperuman, thus saving him 
from the clutches of the hounds of hell. 



Like an Eton tie, a Harvard sweat shirt or a Cambridge Rowing Cap, the Tiruman 
Kappu too is a badge of membership, establishing the credentials of the wearer 
as an ardent devotee of the Lord and providing instant access to the Old Boys' 
Club of those who belong to the Lord.



It was, and still is the practice, to brand our belongings like pots and pans, 
to facilitate their identification, should they get mixed up with others'. Some 
have their initials or whole names etched on the pots while some put in 
distinctive marks. Similar to this practice, the wearing of Tiruman is to 
identify ourselves as the slaves of the Supreme Lord and Master, existing 
solely for His use and pleasure. What better way of inculcating the spirit of 
service to Emperuman, than to constantly remind ourselves of His SwAmitvam 
(Lordship) and our own status as His belongings, by wearing His holy feet 
symbolically on our foreheads? That this SEshatvam of ours is not only towards 
the Lord but also towards His Consort, is signified by the Srichoornam.



A word here about the practice of wearing Srichoornam alone: According to 
Acharyas, it is the Divine Duo who should be the subject of our adulation, 
adoration etc. It is no use espousing only one of them, for neither would be 
pleased by the rejection of or indifference towards the other. If proof were 
needed, we only have to remember what happened to Soorpanakha, who coveted the 
Lord and tried to do away with Sita Piratti, and the example of Ravana, who 
developed an infatuation for Mythily, to the exclusion of Emperuman. Hence, 
Tiruman is complete only when worn with Srichoornam and vice-versa. Tiruman 
alone is worn only when we contract some Asoucham or theettu, indicating the 
importance of Piratti in the whole scheme of things. Similarly, wearing of 
Srichoornam alone would definitely not please either the Lord or His Consort, 
who is His constant companion. It would be as if we were separating Emperuman 
and His inalienable companion, who has vowed never to be apart from the former 
even for a second -"agalakillEn irayum endru alarmEl mangai urai mArba!"



Apart from any other reason, Tiruman serves as an adornment to our foreheads. 
Readers would surely agree that the Lord's feet, worn symbolically, 
considerably enhance our looks and serve as a distinct decoration to our 
visages. Worn just right, neither too broad nor too narrow, with neither too 
sharp edges nor blatantly blunt ones, occupying just the right proportion of 
the forehead and touching the hairline, Tiruman and Srichoornam serve as 
effective enhancements of our looks.



With such a plethora of reasons, is it any wonder that our elders scrupulously 
adhered to this practice themselves and exhorted us too to follow suit?



We can now see why we should wear Tiruman. However, there is an extremely 
strange practice being followed at our temples, irrespective of the Agama or 
sampradaya to which they belong, which is quite puzzling.



We find the Lord at all divyadesams and other sannidhis scrupulously wearing 
Tiruman and Srichoornam on His own forehead. While many of the Utsava MurthIs 
sport just a tilakam on their visages, the Moola bEram is invariably adorned 
with oordhva pundram. We are puzzled, because none of the reasons cited above 
for adopting the practice applies to Emperuman. If Tiruman indeed signifies the 
Lord's feet, would not its application to the Lord's forehead amount to His 
carrying His own feet on His brow? Would this not amount to an apachAram or 
insult to the Lord? And if we wear it to signify our slavery to the omnipotent 
Lord, what would be the purport of putting it on the Lord's forehead, since He 
is the Matchless Master? If we wear it for our protection ("Kappu"), what 
protection does the Lord need and from whom? If Tiruman serves as adornment to 
our faces, does it do so for the Lord too, whose beauty and brilliance are 
unparalleled and need no enhancement?



This question has occurred long back to Sri Koorattazhwan, who queries Sri 
DEvAdiRAja of Kanchi as to why He sports an oordhva pundram on His forehead 
with pleasure-"oordhva pundra tilakam bahumAnAt kim bibharshi Varada! Sva 
lalAtE?" It is not only Sri Devadiraja who subscribes to this practice: Sri 
Bhattar avers that Sri Rangaraja too adorns Himself similarly-"KastUrI kalita 
oordhva pundra tilakam, karNAnta lOlEkshaNam". Swami Desikan too testifies in 
Sri Devanayaka Panchasat that Adiyavarkku Meyyan does wear an oordhva pundram 
on His beautiful forehead, which resembles a flash of lightning on His dark 
forehead, forming a luminous lamp dispelling the gloom of ignorance from our 
hearts-

"lAvaNya varshiNi lalAta tatE ghanAbhE

bibhrat tatit guNa visEsham iva oordhva pundram

visvasya nirjharapatE tamasA Avritasya

manyE vibhAvayasi mAngaLika pradeepam"



We thus find that adorning the Lord with an oordhva pundram is quite an old and 
accepted practice, eliciting appreciative comment from our Poorvacharyas. 
However, the question remains, why? Why should Emperuman do this, which is 
patently suitable for us and unsuitable for Him, if the reasons adduced above 
are correct?



Sri Koorattazhwan, who posed the original question, also provides the answer, 
with the key word "BahumAnAt". The Lord is so enamoured of His devotees, that 
He wishes to follow them in all their practices. When we love somebody a lot, 
we tend to follow in their footsteps, emulating and imitating whatever they do 
and say. Similar is the state of Emperuman, who loves us so much that He 
considers whatever is good for us as good for Him too, whether or not He needs 
it. When our two year-old child takes a morsel of baby food from its own bowl 
and tries to feed us, would we spurn the proffered food because we have 
outgrown the gruel?

When the proud mother is dressing up her child, applying powder to its face and 
body, if the child snatches the powder and tries to smear mother's face with it 
in an attempt at beautification, does the loving mother wipe off the powder 
immediately and scold the toddler for the gesture of love? Similar to all this, 
Emperuman too accepts with gratification all that we do for Him in good faith 
and proudly sports all the adornments we see fit to decorate Him with. 
Otherwise, there is little reason for the Lord to have a ceremonial bath every 
day, for He is the cleanest of persons, with a tirumEni that never attracts any 
impurity or dirt. Nor does He need His teeth to be cleaned, feet to be washed 
or to perform Achamanam now and again. Still less does He need to be fed with 
the mundane morsels we offer Him. 



However, like the adult accepting the loving and imperfect ministrations of a 
child, the Lord too accepts whatever we offer Him with devotion. He accepts 
them not half-heartedly, but with a heart brimming over with gratitude. He 
accepts them with pride, as the offerings of His own offspring, however 
imperfect. It is thus that He sports a TirumankAppu too, though He has neither 
the need nor the compulsion therefor. This is the purport of the term 
"bahumAnAt" adduced by Sri Azhwan as reason for the Lord's oordhva pundram.



If His devotees feel He looks better with TirumankAppu, He readily accepts it 
as His regular adornment, irrespective of the need or necessity for the same. 
"Tamar ugandadu evvuruvam avvuruvam tAnE" says Azhwar, vouching for how 
Emperuman adopts the form, posture, demeanour and decorations His devotees wish 
Him to have. "nenjinAl ninaippAn evan avan Agum neeL kadal vaNNanE" says Sri 
Nammazhwar too, confirming this. These Azhwar sreesootis are again sourced from 
the Bhagavat Gita sloka with the same purport-

"YO YO yAm yAm tanum bhakta: shraddhayA arcchitum icchati

tasya tasya achalAm shraddhAm tAm Eva vidadhAmyaham".



When the Lord Himself is prepared to wear TirumaNkAppu for our sake, should we 
not do it at least for His sake? Instead of fighting shy of doing something 
which we ought to feel proud of, instead of caring for what unconcerned and 
undiscerning third parties may think, instead of forgetting our own stature in 
the spiritual firmament and trying to ape others who are still on the bottom 
rung of the ladder, if only we think of adorning ourselves with oordhva pundram 
with justifiable pride, if only we do it with the realisation that it is the 
Lord's very own tiruvadi that is purifying our forehead, if we prefer the 
Tirumankappu to other cosmetic embellishments we currently favour- it would 
only be then that the Lord is really pleased with us. We would command new 
respect if we turn a blind eye to derisive glances and deaf ears to snide 
comments. It is well worth remembering that the world is full of malicious 
critics who would have little good to say about us, whichever course we adopt. 
Given this prejudiced attitude of mortals, should we really care about what 
others think, as long as we are convinced that what we are toeing is the 
straight and right path trodden by countless emancipated souls before us? This 
mental block against correct conduct, once removed, would open the floodgates 
of spiritual fortune and lead us on to the Lord and all that He has to offer us.



This piece is not an attempt to criticise or reform, much less to pontificate. 
It is just an expression of anguish, in search of sympathetic shoulders to lean 
and cry on.





Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:



Dasan, sadagopan







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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